Road Test: 2001 Opel Speedster

Musclecar doomsayers have been bracing themselves for a musclecar apocalypse at the end of 2002. That's when GM's contract with the Canadian Auto Workers at its Ste. Therese, Quebec, plant expires. Ste. Therese is where GM has been building the fourth-generation Camaro and Firebird. There's been much speculation about the future of the F-body cars, and little official information to calm enthusiasts' fears that the all-new '05 Ford Mustang will go unchallenged. Take solace; our inside sources indicate the General's camp may be strategizing a two-pronged attack: While the Camaro is expected to wage V-8 rear-drive horsepower war against the Mustang in 2004 as a first-generation-inspired coupe (i.e. with a trunk), Pontiac may flank the performance segment by challenging the import roadster market. Offering a repackaged, Americanized version of Opel's excitingly edgy new Speedster would give Pontiac the goods to arm-wrestle with everything from the mid-engine Toyota MR Spyder to the racy Honda S2000-and possibly give German automakers a little scare as well.

Derived from the much-celebrated Lotus Elise, the Speedster shares its less-is-more engineering philosophy in creating a pure-bred sports car. Much of Lotus' basic architecture and build processes remain intact. At first glance, the Speedster looks like a reskinned Elise. Not the case: Surprisingly, it shares only 140 (of 2000) parts in common with its progenitor. They do cast similar shadows, with the Speedster boasting a slight edge in wheelbase, length, and width-the overall impression is definitely low and mean, exaggerated by the angry visage. Yet upon closer inspection, you can see that the Opel (which will be sold in some markets as the Vauxhall's VX220) is more than an Elise clone.

Opening the short doors reveals a foot-deep sill, requiring some Twister-like maneuvering to enter the car. No amount of practice permitted us to do this with grace, making ingress/egress an age-discriminating cruelty for most common-size drivers. Once in, don't get out. Notably absent are mainstream creature comforts such as air conditioning, power door locks, and power windows. It's all done in the name of weight saving and in recognition of the Speedster's mission as a pure sports car; these pound-penalizing items would detract from the purpose-minded corner-carver Opel desired.

The cockpit looks as if it were CNC-machined from billet aluminum. The silvery metal-some structural, some ornamental-is exposed all around, from pedals and dash support strut, to door handles and seat frames. Seats are spare and supportive. The passenger is treated to a rare luxury: an adjustable foot brace to keep him planted in high-g turns. The right-side airbag was eliminated since the seat lacks adjustment, therefore keeping the (belted) passenger's noggin well away from the dashboard. This may, or may not, have to change should the car come to our airbag-infatuated shores. The Speedster's sole concession to modern motoring features is a single-DIN VDO audio head unit that we'd just as soon be left in the pile with the A/C condenser and spare tire. Given the Speedster's already-auditory experience and sheer, wind-blowing thrills, who needs tunes?

Two adults on board makes for an intimate experience befitting a couple on a weekend getaway. For such occasions, limited storage is found behind the buckets, though a rear cargo compartment can capably hold a couple of overnight bags and the standard can of Fix-a-flat. In case of inclement weather, a cloth top cleverly hidden behind the seats can be deployed. Weighing a feathery 8.8 lb, the cloth top unrolls and rests upon two struts, then rotates into place. Very quick and easy to install, the top remained watertight in an unscheduled rain test.

Pushing the dash-mounted start button brings the aluminum 2.2L DOHC four-cylinder to life, exhaling vigorously through stacked exhaust outlets; it's a modified version of the engine in the Opel Astra and Saturn LS. As the only concession to its performance application, the four-valve ECOTEC engine is tuned with higher compression to deliver 147 hp. Torque comes on strong, reaching 90 percent of its 150-lb-ft peak at 1900 rpm. In keeping with British sports car tradition, the Opel tips the scales at less than one ton, which means a sub-150-hp four can provide more than adequate propulsion. Opel claims a 0-60-mph time of less than 6 sec-we believe it. With a modest launch, the Speedster's pull is surprisingly strong. The secret, again, is its power-to-weight ratio: It doesn't have much to pull. Commanding the 304-lb engine via a five-speed Getrag transmission, we relished the off-throttle exhaust burble in between quick shifts. Power comes on strong at mid-rpm levels, ensuring generous torque production for pulling through turns.

As we gobbled up miles of serpentine German roads, the stiff-but-ultra-communicative manual steering conspired with the small-diameter wheel to give our arms a Nautilus-level workout. The nearly race-car-stiff suspension that felt somewhat punishing on cobblestone village streets proved well suited on smooth asphalt to deliver adequate ride compliance and Rottweiler-grade grip. A low center of gravity and bantam weight help the Speedster remain imperturbable, able to be tossed without drama through challenging esses. With 17-in. Bridgestone Potenza RE 040 tires clawing at each corner, the Speedster tore through turns with intoxicating confidence, daring us to push the car harder. On damp roads, it required some effort to break the car loose, and even then it was confidently reeled in. Anti-lock-equipped discs, borrowed from the much heftier Opel Vectra, created more than enough stopping power to bring the chiseled roadster down from autobahn velocity. The Speedster's handling acumen puts it in an elite category of natural-born thrillers.

Compromises are painfully clear for this level of performance, but Opel's intention was to create a niche vehicle that may be the second or third car in an owner's stable, preserved for weekend escapes-or perhaps some amateur road racing.

Assembly at the Lotus facility in Hethel, England, is expected to yield 3000-3500 units a year, with the bulk of production going to Germany and the U.K. Lotus has acknowledged that a second assembly line could be constructed to add 3500 annual units for U.S. export, putting a near-turnkey niche vehicle within grasp of a GM division striving for unique product.

Pontiac and Saturn have both discussed the possibilities of U.S. importation. Word is that Saturn wanted a more rounded body composed of shopping-cart resistant plastic panels like its sedans. Not a good fit with Saturn's mainstream vehicle lineup, a Pontiac bid seems more likely. It doesn't hurt that Pontiac product-types reportedly like the styling as is. Some changes would have to occur, addressing such issues as crash standards, headlamp height requirements, and a passenger airbag, before the Speedster could cross the Pond into our marketplace. Expect a higher level of creature comfort and, of course, some Pontiac brand-inspired styling cues. If given a green light, we'd like to see the Fiero moniker brought back to life for the Speedster, with a turbocharged variant to wear a GT badge. The important message is that the Speedster proves GM can build daring, exciting vehicles that can execute their mission undiluted. And one we hope is on its way to a Pontiac dealer near you.